The recent freeze on USAID foreign assistance is a massive blow to organizations fighting human trafficking and forced labor around the world reports CBS News, and a huge gift to traffickers and criminals. The immediate cessation of aid programs around the world coupled with huge staff layoffs means programs providing vital support for survivors and exposing traffickers is down to a trickle. And sadly in some cases, completely dried up.
Global stability on the line
Groups all over the world are supported in part or in whole by USAID. The funds help them carry out a range of humanitarian projects and activities. This work includes programs fighting modern slavery as well as work in hospitals or health clinics, programs advancing democracy, and entrepreneurship or conservation projects. The funding structure is burdensome and isn’t free from criticism. However, thousands of advocates and workers around the world depended on it. Vitally, thousands more depended on the humanitarian work those programs provided.
Freedom Collaborative CEO Julia Macher stated:
“(The funding) helps with global stability…it helps reduce organized crime. And if there is no response or watching these crime groups, they can start expanding, and that is very scary because then it’s a ripple effect. It’s not just about the humanitarian aspect.”
Freedom Collaborative is a global network of about 3,000 advocates against trafficking. They received a stop-work order last week that cut 80% of their budget. The cuts also hit an organization in the Balkans providing direct services to survivors. A shelter for survivors in Thailand can no longer pay for basic needs like food, medical care and transportation. And in Cambodia, a survivor support program is on hold. Tragically, those represent just a fraction of the humanitarian programs and lives affected.
Spotlight Cambodia- one step forward, a huge leap back
Cambodia has become notorious for cyber-slavery and scam centers. That’s thanks in a large part to brave journalists like Mech Dara, who reported extensively on the proliferation of scam compounds there. The negative attention to the scam/slavery compounds sparked regional law enforcement to start cracking down on the centers and freeing survivors.
Support for survivors in Cambodia, like shelters and transportation to return home, are critical for ensuring victims don’t wind up being trafficked again. And vital support organizations were in place. But the recent freeze threatens the fragile survivor infrastructure. In addition, as the support organizations disappear, space opens up for increased criminal operations.
Mina Chiang, founder of Humanity Research Consultancy, which has conducted research on scam compounds in the region said:
“The knock-on effect of the USAID funding freeze extends beyond the trafficking and re-trafficking of vulnerable people; it strengthens criminal networks, allowing them to expand their operations,”
Support for scam-center survivors is vital as when victims finally get out, they often have trouble returning home. Initially held in police custody, they are sent on to immigration detention where they can linger for months. Since most don’t have any savings, they need legal help as most were smuggled into the country illegally by their traffickers.
The funding freeze has effectively halted any civil-society-assisted rescue work and related human trafficking prevention programs across Cambodia. Thus, rescuing trafficked scam workers and the provision of trauma-informed care, help with visas and legal support almost all have dried up. That leaves survivors who manage to escape bereft of any help and extremely vulnerable to being re-trafficked.
Freedom United stands beside organizations across the sector in calling on the U.S. government to unfreeze these funds and calls for sustainable and independent support for civil society. Life-changing support and prevention efforts must continue.
Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.
Unfortunately, Mr Trump has already made it clear that justice or charity are not a priority for his government, but rather establishing a new world order where he and his colleagues from Russia and China decide which countries can be invaded and by whom, while the rest of the world do their bidding. It is up to Europe to rise to the challenge and fill in the gap the US is going to leave in the fight for democracy and freedom. Oh, I forgot, we also prefer to do business as usual. Tough luck.